Prayer as a Necessary Means of Salvation - Cardinal Bacci

Prayer as a Necessary Means of Salvation

1. St. Augustine calls prayer "the key to Heaven." We should acknowledge the infinite goodness of God in giving us such an easy means of salvation, for when He gave us prayer He gave us the key to His kingdom of Heaven. He invites us earnestly to pray. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.” (Cf. Mt. 7:7; Luke 11:9) “If you ask the Father anything in my name, he will give it to you.” (Cf. John 16:23) “Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation.” (Cf. Mt. 26:41; Mark 14:38)

When Jesus was in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, His Apostles became tired and sleepy. He rebuked them gently and asked them for the second time to pray that they might not yield to temptation. He makes this request of us also. We grow weary and apathetic as the Apostles did, while the devil is busy with his evil suggestions and the dangers of the world surround us. We have constant need of the grace of God to prevent us from falling. Let us pray fervently and bear in mind the advice of St. Alphonsus: "If you give up praying, you will certainly be damned."

2. "The man who prays will be saved, the man who does not pray will be damned." This reflection occurs in much the same words in the writings of St. Theresa, of St. Alphonsus, and of other masters of the spiritual life. There is no suggestion that prayer alone without sincerity of purpose, the Sacraments and good works, is sufficient for salvation. What is meant is that anyone who does not pray cannot possibly be saved except by a miracle, because God does not normally give His grace to anyone who does not ask for it. Even though the soul has grown indifferent and submerged in sin, if it does not abandon the habit of praying it will sooner or later be overcome by remorse and will turn again to God. St. John Chrysostom teaches us that it is impossible for anyone who prays fervently and constantly to fall and remain in serious sin. Let us pray, therefore. Let prayer be our constant support in every situation and in every action. If we remain close to God, we are assured of salvation. As long as we remain united to Our Lord, His grace will pervade our souls. But if we sever this bond of prayer with God, we shall be alone and helpless and shall fall into sin. This has been the sad experience of many before us.

3. We should appreciate how necessary it is to pray with special fervour and perseverance in times of great temptation and suffering. If we neglect to do so when temptation assails us, we shall be on our own and shall certainly fall. When we encounter suffering and everything seems to be crumbling around us, let us remember that God sees us and pities us. Let us turn to Him, Who alone is able and eager to help us in our misfortunes. When we pray, our tears are precious in His sight. God's love for us is infinite. If we have recourse to Him, He will certainly answer us in the manner which He knows is best for us. He has promised this. “If he cries out to me, I will hear him; for I am compassionate.” (Ex. 22:26)